JASON LONGHURST
Longhorn and associates are currently drafting a formal complaint against North East Lincolnshire Council to the Ombudsman and to the District Auditor.
Enquiries are continuing into whether the engagement of a management consultant, personally known to Longhurst, followed the correct procedures in respect of procurement and value for money. It appears that Council members are unaware of the spending of the Council's scarce resources on such consultants to advise Longhurst about how to restructure his tiny department.
Balfour Beatty Workplace has taken over the running of the planning, highways staff and the people of Grimsby will be intrigued to observe the ongoing management of the contract, particularly matters of legality, value for money and propriety. It is understood that many staff have been made redundant since Balfour Beatty took over on 1 July 2010, but no redundancies have been announced, yet, on the client (retained) side. Will Longhurst or Cole be the first? Are their roles really necessary now? Marc Cole, as Director, should be able to manage this contract, where most of his former staff have been transferred to Balfour Beatty Workplace? Furthermore, it is argued that there is certainly no role for an assistant (such as Longhurst), on circa £80k per year, over 4 times more than the national average wage!!!
Full details of the complaints and allegationsmade to the Ombudsman and the District Auditor will be published soon .
Thursday 28 October 2010
Monday 25 October 2010
Saturday 9 October 2010
Jason Longhurst - peering over the handrail!
He's the tiny one on the right with the black and red tie - what a cool but diminutive executive??
Friday 8 October 2010
Jaon Longhurst - is this the end of his illustrious career?
- Assistant Executive Director for Planning, Transport & Housing at North East Lincolnshire Council
- CABE Enabler at CABE
- Director at iSEE Landscape Ltd
- Executive Director - Placemaking at Black Country Consortium Ltd
- RNRP
More interest in Jason Longhurst of Grimsby
Thank you for your email to CABE's general enquiries email address drawing our attention to the complaint by xxxxx yyyyy against Jason Longhurst, in Mr Longhurst's capacity as an employee of North East Lincolnshire Council.
I do not know in what capacity you write - whether as xxxxx yyyyy's legal adviser, friend, or as a disinterested member of the public. I thank you for your solicitude for CABE's reputation, but I assume from the terms in which you write that any investigation which the council might be undertaking has not yet been concluded. It would, therefore, be contrary to natural justice and the due process of law for CABE to assume that the allegations against Mr Longhurst are proven. Whilst reputational consequences can be made to flow from unresolved allegations, in my experience they tend to be indistinguishable from mud slinging unless substantiated through some form of due process, such as the investigation which you describe. I do not imply any judgement on xxxxx yyyyy's allegations in saying this. I am in no position to make one. It is simply a fact deriving from the stage in the process which you have reached.
To assist you, it may be helpful to explain that CABE is neither a professional body, nor any other sort of membership organisation. Our status is explained on our web site (address below). We do not have "members". Nor, for the avoidance of doubt, is Mr Longhurst an employee of CABE. Mr Longhurst is a CABE Enabler. Enablers are people appointed to a framework (formerly often described as a call-down or call-off) contract, on whose services CABE can occasionally call to provide local advice. Enablers have no other connection with CABE and there are no other mutual obligations. CABE is not responsible for their conduct when they are not working for us. Being a CABE Enabler does not imply CABE's endorsement of suitability for any other employment.
I understand from what you say that Mr Longhurst is an employee of North East Lincolnshire Council. He was not employed as an Enabler by CABE to work for the council and, therefore, his conduct there is not a matter for CABE but for the council. It is difficult for me to see a way in which a finding against Mr Longhurst in any investigation could, therefore, lead to CABE being discredited, because CABE has nothing whatsoever to do with his work for the council. I can assure you, however, that we will defend CABE vigorously against any attempt to discredit it.
I note that you also say that Mr Longhurst's "suitability to serve CABE" has been called into question. You do not say by whom. It does not seem to be xxxxx yyyyyy, since CABE is (rightly and properly) not mentioned in his complaint, which seems to be a very full, clear and unambiguous statement of his grievance. I don't know if you intend to imply that it is the council. No doubt they will let me know if that is the case, so long as the outcome of the investigation can be made available to me.
I hope that I have made the position clear but please do not hesitate to contact me if I can offer further clarification.
Since I do not know your relationship to the case I have taken the liberty of copying this correspondence to xxxxx yyyyyy, the people whom you mention at the council, to Mr Longhurst and to relevant colleagues at CABE.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Simmons
Dr Richard Simmons
Chief Executive
Tel: 020 7070 6700
Fax: 020 7070 6777
I do not know in what capacity you write - whether as xxxxx yyyyy's legal adviser, friend, or as a disinterested member of the public. I thank you for your solicitude for CABE's reputation, but I assume from the terms in which you write that any investigation which the council might be undertaking has not yet been concluded. It would, therefore, be contrary to natural justice and the due process of law for CABE to assume that the allegations against Mr Longhurst are proven. Whilst reputational consequences can be made to flow from unresolved allegations, in my experience they tend to be indistinguishable from mud slinging unless substantiated through some form of due process, such as the investigation which you describe. I do not imply any judgement on xxxxx yyyyy's allegations in saying this. I am in no position to make one. It is simply a fact deriving from the stage in the process which you have reached.
To assist you, it may be helpful to explain that CABE is neither a professional body, nor any other sort of membership organisation. Our status is explained on our web site (address below). We do not have "members". Nor, for the avoidance of doubt, is Mr Longhurst an employee of CABE. Mr Longhurst is a CABE Enabler. Enablers are people appointed to a framework (formerly often described as a call-down or call-off) contract, on whose services CABE can occasionally call to provide local advice. Enablers have no other connection with CABE and there are no other mutual obligations. CABE is not responsible for their conduct when they are not working for us. Being a CABE Enabler does not imply CABE's endorsement of suitability for any other employment.
I understand from what you say that Mr Longhurst is an employee of North East Lincolnshire Council. He was not employed as an Enabler by CABE to work for the council and, therefore, his conduct there is not a matter for CABE but for the council. It is difficult for me to see a way in which a finding against Mr Longhurst in any investigation could, therefore, lead to CABE being discredited, because CABE has nothing whatsoever to do with his work for the council. I can assure you, however, that we will defend CABE vigorously against any attempt to discredit it.
I note that you also say that Mr Longhurst's "suitability to serve CABE" has been called into question. You do not say by whom. It does not seem to be xxxxx yyyyyy, since CABE is (rightly and properly) not mentioned in his complaint, which seems to be a very full, clear and unambiguous statement of his grievance. I don't know if you intend to imply that it is the council. No doubt they will let me know if that is the case, so long as the outcome of the investigation can be made available to me.
I hope that I have made the position clear but please do not hesitate to contact me if I can offer further clarification.
Since I do not know your relationship to the case I have taken the liberty of copying this correspondence to xxxxx yyyyyy, the people whom you mention at the council, to Mr Longhurst and to relevant colleagues at CABE.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Simmons
Dr Richard Simmons
Chief Executive
Tel: 020 7070 6700
Fax: 020 7070 6777
Awaiting due process
Watch this space to find out how due process deals with these serious complaints.
So far, the Council has been tight lipped...........perhaps if they wait long enough the problem will go away!
Watch this space .................................................delays in dealing with serious complaints are serious issues in themselves - so watch this space.
It is hoped that North east Lincolnshire will come clean ..........at last.
But..................watch this space!
So far, the Council has been tight lipped...........perhaps if they wait long enough the problem will go away!
Watch this space .................................................delays in dealing with serious complaints are serious issues in themselves - so watch this space.
It is hoped that North east Lincolnshire will come clean ..........at last.
But..................watch this space!
Jason Longhurst
North East Lincolnshire has recently appointed an unqualified and unemployed individual called Jason Longhurst as its Assistant Executive Director of Planning, Highways and Housing.
Just 3 months into his contract a full investigation has been launched against his mismanagement of contracts, bullying and total ineffectiveness. He has been accused of swearing and shouting at staff and is alleged to be a member of --- -------- -----!
The complaints are currently being investigated by the Chief Executive and Rob Walsh, Chief Executive and Head of Legal Services respectively. The Leader, Councillor De Freitas is being kept informed of developments.
We are informed that a threatened staff walk out is planned unless Jason Longhurst is removed from post.
The above investigation can be confirmed by the Council's CEO, although he is currently shutting himself away and not taking any calls - good luck to those who try and contact him or his cronies!
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